ALBANY — Bail for Jeremy W. Siddon, 23, of Voorheesville was set at $150,000 on Tuesday, March 20, in Albany County Court by Judge Peter A. Lynch.

Siddon had been charged with rape and criminal possession of a firearm by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, according to a release from the office. After Siddon’s former fiancée reported she was raped, deputies executed a search warrant at Siddon’s home in Pheasant Run Apartments on Wednesday, March 14, and found an illegal loaded nine-millimeter Glock handgun, several assault weapons, an electronic stun gun, and ballistic vests.

Lee Kindlon, Siddon’s lawyer, asked that bail be set at $25,000; Assistant District Attorney Brittany Grome asked for $150,000, saying that Siddon was a flight risk and that there were concerns about his mental health.

Siddon had told sheriff’s deputies, Grome said, that he was in charge of training soldiers for Blackwater, a private military force for hire. Blackwater has not had that name since 2009, when it changed its name to Xe; two years later, it changed its name to Academi.

Kindlon disputed the charge of rape. He said that texts between Siddon and his ex-fiancée indicated that the sex was consensual.

The sheriff’s office had charged Siddon with first-degree rape, second-degree strangulation, five counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of a firearm — all felonies — as well as with these misdemeanors: third-degree assault, and two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

A grand jury this week returned charges of felony possession of a firearm and five counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon — all felonies. He will be arraigned in Albany County Court on Friday.

“Other charges remain open and pending at this time in our Special Victims Unit,” said Cecilia Walsh, a spokeswoman for the Albany County District Attorney’s office.

Siddon’s roommate, Michael J. Coon, also 23, was charged with criminal possession of a firearm and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, too, but was not involved in the rape investigation, the sheriff’s release said. He was released and scheduled to appear in the New Scotland Town Court on Thursday, March 15.

Siddon and Coon are not associated with law enforcement or the military, nor were they planning any kind of attack, according to Chief Deputy William Rice. The majority of weapons were legal — the Glock was not, Rice said.

The Glock that was confiscated had been bought online in separate parts and assembled by Siddon, Rice said. “In the kit, it tells you where to drill out any holes and how to put it together,” he said.

The Glock is considered a “ghost gun” because it does not have a serial number on it, said Rice.

Siddon does not have a pistol permit, Rice said.  

It’s not illegal to have the parts but, once the Glock is assembled, it is illegal to have it without a firearm license, Rice said. Siddon could face federal charges, Rice said, because the assembly of handguns requires a federal license.

Rice also said that all of the guns were taken per order of the search warrant. Due to the order of protection issued on behalf of the woman who reported the rape, Siddon had to surrender his guns, said Rice; he is not allowed to have any guns unless the order of protection were changed or the criminal charges were dropped.

Updated on March 21: Information from Celia Walsh on the grand jury indictment was added.